What routine preventative medicine or measures do you use with your flock to prevent illness or maintain good health?

[3KillerBs]

Yesterday she suggested adding some dried red pepper flakes to the feed, it’s suppose to kill internal parasites.

That's a myth.

It might keep mice or squirrels out of the feed, but if your flock *does* have worms they need a real dewormer and if the flock *doesn't* have worms they don't need anything.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

The greatest preventative measure any livestock owner can provide is good culling. This will dramatically improve the health of your flock.

 

[Folly's place]

Good food, water, a reasonably clean, dry, and spacious coop. Biosecurity! No 'random source' birds, only chicks from good places, or chicks hatched here. Check a few birds weekly, at night, for mites or lice, if the flock can free range. Fecals run at the veterinarian's very occasionally. Here we haven't had issues with intestinal parasites very often, although some places may need to check more often.
Permethrin if mites or lice arrive (this we've had to deal with!). Appropriate meds if bad intestinal parasites turn up (once for coccidia).
We've never added stuff to their water or feed for 'prevention' or to fix a non-existent problem.
Mary

 

[In the mtns]

That's a myth.

It might keep mice or squirrels out of the feed, but if your flock *does* have worms they need a real dewormer and if the flock *doesn't* have worms they don't need anything.

Good to know! Thanks for the info!

 

[Rurumo]

Hot pepper doesn't kill worms, but it's great for birds. My healthiest, longest lived Parrot ate hot pepper every day (and spirulina). It will also color your yokes red if they eat a lot of it, like during chili harvest season. I think it's generally good for stimulating digestion (so are ginger and cinnamon), here is a review of a lot of different studies using chickens https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8850793/

 

[RubelliteRose]

We don't do anything "special" on a regular basis either. We make sure they have fresh water daily, have a little more food available than they need and top it off daily - we don't leave it in the run overnight to keep the mice out of it. I scoop most of the poop from the coops daily - the smaller coop is too small to let it build up and the larger coop has poop boards so it is easy to clean. We made sure to have more than the minimum space available in the coops and secure run should they ever need to be locked up for any length of time. They also free range most days, so get plenty of exercise.
For biosecurity, we decided to only purchase chicks or eggs from NPIP sources. If I ever do bring in an adult, they will be quarantined in a completely separate area and if I ever sell an adult I will recommend the buyer do the same. For working with the chickens, we keep shoes that do not leave the property unless they are disinfected before returning home.
I have used dewormers and an antibiotic, but only when they are required. Our birds are partially pets, so we spend a lot of time with them and can usually tell when something is off.

 

[MysteryChicken]

I've heard of people doing many things for prevention, such as regular deworming, water or feed supplements, etc. I'm wondering what sorts of things are actually helpful? I haven't really done anything for prevention, other than trying to keep a clean coop. Would love to hear everyone's opinions on things they do to prevent illness, disease, pests, etc. I would also love to read any articles or research you have found that backs or explains why you do it (though not necessary). Thank you!

I use regular Supplementation here, & there for immune support, & overall health of my chickens. I Use Kick'n Chicken Healthy Coat, Nutridrench, & Rooster Booster Poultry Cell. I do one of these, every other week, or so.

Other then those, I feed High Quality Feed, & nothing else is done special.(Coops get cleaned out 2 times a year, I use deep pack litter method, all manure is used in the gardens for fertilizer)

(EDIT) Forgot, to mention routine checkups, make sure everyone is doing great, looking for lice/mites, injuries, etc.


Every year, we do butchering 1-2 times. Removing old birds, & birds I won't use for breeding.

 

[LizzzyJo]

A clean coop, run, water, and food. Free ranging on pesticide free grassy property. I pay attention to them and listen to their needs (limping, head shaking, poop, etc).

I’m a scientist by occupation, so I don’t do/give any medicines/foods not backed by peer reviewed research. I am 100% open and supportive of others doing it, though! We all have our own chicken keeping journey

I did have to use a dewormer once like 4 years ago, but it totally worked and everyone was better after a few weeks.

 

[In the mtns]

Hot pepper doesn't kill worms, but it's great for birds. My healthiest, longest lived Parrot ate hot pepper every day (and spirulina). It will also color your yokes red if they eat a lot of it, like during chili harvest season. I think it's generally good for stimulating digestion (so are ginger and cinnamon), here is a review of a lot of different studies using chickens https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8850793/

Thank you for the input, I’ll continue to use the peppers as they’re inexpensive and easy! Seems like, for the most part, that chickens can benefit from the same natural food remedies that we humans use! That’s awesome!

 

[Shadrach]

Inspection! It's easy to cast ones eyes over a group of chickens and see they are doing the things chickens do and that means all is well. It often isn't and by regularly checking the birds over ( below neck feathers, mid back and vent at skin depth), run finger underneath foot pad, check crops at roost time and look at the poop in the mornings.
You may not manage every bird every day but one or two every day isn't that much of a task.

Chickens like clean houses. Take the poop out daily.

If you range, or free range it's very likely that your chickens will pick up worms, even in dry climates. Just because you don't see worms or segments in the poop doesn't mean your chickens don't have them.
You can send a poop sample off to a lab, but it is worth considering worming in the autumn and spring as a routine.

Exercise! This is probably the best way to keep chickens healthy there is and for many that means out of their coop and run. Get them out and make them forage and work. Got a patch of garden that needs cleaning up? Put the chickens on it. They get fitter, get some bugs and vegitation and you won't have to do much more.

Fish and meat. Not a lot and not every day.